A Florida surgeon is facing serious allegations after mistakenly removing a man’s liver instead of his spleen during a surgery, which led to the patient’s death on the operating table, according to claims made by the widow’s attorney.
Surgical Mix-Up Leads to Fatal Consequences
William Bryan, a 70-year-old man from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, tragically died during surgery at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast hospital in Miramar, Florida, on August 21. The surgery, intended to address spleen abnormalities, turned fatal when the surgeon, Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, allegedly removed Bryan’s liver instead.
According to Zarzaur Law, the personal injury firm representing Bryan’s widow, Beverly Bryan, this catastrophic error resulted in immediate blood loss and Bryan’s death.
“The surgeon proceeded with labeling the removed liver specimen as a ‘spleen,’ and it wasn’t until following the death that it was identified that the organ removed was actually Mr. Bryan’s liver, as opposed to the spleen,” a statement from the firm reads.
Hospital Visit Takes a Deadly Turn
The Bryans were vacationing in Florida when William Bryan began experiencing severe pain on his left side, prompting a visit to Ascension Sacred Heart for evaluation. Despite initial hesitation about undergoing surgery away from home, both Dr. Shaknovsky and the hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Christopher Bacani, convinced the couple that Bryan needed immediate medical intervention to avoid life-threatening complications.
Zarzaur, representing Beverly Bryan, stated that both doctors were involved in key discussions about the surgical approach. Unfortunately, what should have been a routine splenectomy became a disastrous event that cost William Bryan his life.
Details of the Surgery Revealed
The lawsuit claims that during the hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy, Shaknovsky not only removed the wrong organ but also damaged critical blood vessels in the process, causing a fatal hemorrhage. “Dr. Shaknovsky removed Mr. Bryan’s liver and, in so doing, transected the major vasculature supplying the liver, causing immediate and catastrophic blood loss resulting in death,” the statement continues.
Shaknovsky allegedly informed Beverly Bryan that her husband’s spleen was unusually large, claiming it had grown four times its normal size and shifted to the other side of his body—a puzzling explanation since the spleen and liver are on opposite sides of the abdomen, with the liver being significantly larger.
Hospital Investigates; Widow Seeks Justice
Ascension Sacred Heart has since issued a statement, noting their commitment to patient safety and confirming that an internal investigation is underway.
“Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast has a longstanding history of providing safe, quality care since the hospital opened its doors in 2003.” the statement said.
“Patient safety is and remains our number one priority. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family. We hold the privacy of our patients in the highest regard. We do not comment on specific patient cases or active litigation,” the hospital said.
The Cleveland Clinic describes the human spleen as being the size of an avocado, while the liver is roughly the size of a football, underscoring the severity of the surgical mistake.
In an unsettling revelation, the family was informed after Bryan’s death that his spleen—the organ that had prompted the surgery—remained inside his body, with only a small cyst on its surface.
Prior Incident Raises Further Questions
This isn’t the first time Dr. Shaknovsky has faced scrutiny. In 2023, he reportedly removed parts of a patient’s pancreas instead of an adrenal gland, a case that was settled privately. With William Bryan’s widow now seeking both criminal and civil justice, questions about the surgeon’s competence are mounting.
“My husband died while helpless on the operating room table by Dr. Shaknovsky. I don’t want anyone else to die due to his incompetence at a hospital that should have known or knew he had previously made drastic, life-altering surgical mistakes,” Beverly Bryan stated through her attorney.
Zarzaur Law remains committed to holding the responsible parties accountable. “Our goal at Zarzaur Law is to get justice for the Bryan family and make our community safer one case at a time,” the firm said.
“While most doctors are doing excellent work to keep us healthy, there is a small percentage that should not be practicing medicine.”
Ongoing Investigations
Both the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and the District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office have opened investigations into the circumstances surrounding Bryan’s death. “Walton County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office and Office of the State Attorney is reviewing the facts involving the death of William Bryan to determine if anything criminal took place,” the sheriff’s office confirmed.
Despite the mounting legal and public pressure, records show that both Shaknovsky and Bacani still hold active medical licenses in the state of Florida.
